TWO LETTERS FROM Col. ROBERT LILBURNE. The one to the Honourable William Lenthall Esquire, Speaker of the Parliament. The other To his Excellency the Lord General. CONTAINING The particulars of the total Rout and overthrow of the Earl of DERBY, and the Forces under his Command in Lancashire on the 25 of August 1651. By the Parliament forces under the said Colonel Robert Lilburne. Imprimatur Hen. Scobel Cleric. Parliamenti. LONDON, Printed for Robert Ibbitson dwelling in Smithfield near Hosier Lane end. 1651. Mr. Speaker: MY Lord General being pleased to command me to stay here to assist the well-affected against the Lord Derby, who was then at Warrington in this County with some considerable Force both from the Isle of Man, and which he had from the Scots Army, wherewith he did not only much encourage the Enemies, but also discourage all the well-affected in these Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, and whereof he thought himself wholly Master; as indeed he was, and none in those Counties were able, or durst appear against him, and began to beat Drums, and raise men in all places where he came, and would have been very strong in a short time, not only through the access of many Malignants, Papists, and dis-affected Persons, but that assistance the Ministers, and those who are called Presbyterians afforded, and would have more abundantly appeared, for they are the men who are grown here more bitter & envious against you then others of the old Cavaliers stamp, the power of the Almighty was very much seen in the total overthrow (I hope) of that wicked design which was laid, and hatched not only here, but through the whole North of England, who was getting into the like Posture, as you may further understand by those papers I have here sent you, but that God who hath all along appeared with us, and for us, hath showed himself very good, and powerful in the discipating of this Enemy, who was about fourteen or fifteen hundred strong; I had only three Companies of Foot, abou● fifty or sixty Dragoons, and about thirty Horse from Liverpoole, with my own wearied, and some what scittered Regiment, through our tedious march from Scotland, and hard duty we had here. Yesterday morning about 11 or 12 a clock in the night the enemy marched from Preston, we lying within two or three miles of them, where we expected those supplies of Forces which came not: some of our intelligence informing us, the Enemy more running away towards their Army with what they had gotten; we pursued them hither with some confidence that that Intelligence was true, and the rather we believed it, because of some discouragement we put upon them the day before; but upon our approach hither we found it otherwise, for they were bending their course towards Manchester, where they had not only very great hopes of surprising my Lord General's Regiment of Foot, but also great assurance of the assistance of five hundred men in and about that Town, but upon the sight of our near appoach they unexpectedly put themselves into a posture of fight with us, which then we endeavoured to decline, in regard of the great advantage they had by their many Foot, and Hedges, and the danger we apprehended my Lord General's Regiment of Foot at Manchester to be in, we were drawing off, thinking to have marched in the left flank of them thither, to have gained a conjunction with our Friends, who had order to march to me that day towards Preston, we had thought to have met them in the way, having sent several Messengers to let them know both the Enemies and our motion, but the Enemy perceiving us to draw off, quickly advanced upon us with their Horse, and Foot, which we perceiving, and that we could not go off safely enough, we fell to dispute with them, which lasted almost one hour, our Horse being not able to do any service but in Lanes, and they overpowering us so much in Foot made the business very difficult, that we hardly knew whose the day would be for so long; but therein was the Salvation of God the more seen, and the greater opportunity we had to destroy them. I desire that he may have the praise and glory of that happy success he was pleased to give unto us, his poor Creatures; having given you this Narrative in general, which I thought it my duty to do, this enclosed List will inform you further of the particulars; I desire the Lord would teach us to walk in some way answerable to those manifold and gracious Dispensations he daily gives us experience of, and manifests his love unto us in that his Name may be magnified in all we do, in our several places and stations; this great mercy to us here I hope is the earnest of his further tenderness, to the great concernments of all good people in this Nation, which is the hearty desire of Wiggon the 25. of August, 1651. Your faithful and most humble Servant to my power Rob. Lilburne. Present these: To the Right Honourable William Lenthall Esq Speaker of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, haste. This Bearer was all the while in the Engagement, and is able to give you a further Relation. I have not lost an Officer in this Engagement but one Corporal; and not above ten Soldiers slain, but very many wounded. A List of the Prisoners taken at Wiggon, Aug. 25. 1651. COl, Fhrogmorton. Col, Rich. Legg. Col. John Robbinson. Col. Baynes. Col. Ratcliff Gerret. Adjutant General. Lieut. Col. Creson Rigby. Lieut. Col. Francis Baynes. Lieut. Col. Galliard. Lieut. Col. Constable. Major Gower. 4. Captains, 2 Lieutenants, one Quartermaster. 20. Gentlemen and Reformadoes. 400. Private Prisoners, All their Baggage, & Sumptures, Arms, and Ammunition, the L. Derbies' three Cloaks with Stars, his George, Garter, and other Robes. Slain and dead since they were taken. The L. Witherington. Major Gen. Sir Tho. Tilsley. Col. Matth. Boynton. Major Chester. Major Trollop, and divers others of quality, whose names are not yet brought in, besides sixty private men. May it please your Excellency, UPon the receipt of your Orders to stay here with my Regiment, I marched that day from Stopport to this Town; which was 22 miles before I rested, hearing the Enemy was here, and thinking I might have a little surprised them, but they were gone to Chorley; the next day I marched after them towards Preston, and lay within two miles of them only with my own Regiment, and about 60 Horse and Dragoones which is all the Country could assist me with, all this while, (saving only one Company from Manchester of Foot and two from Chest●r which have been with me two days,) That night I sent 40 Horse to alarm them (who then wounded Col. Vere) hearing they were to have had a Randezvous at Preston the next day: I did that to give notice to the Town and Country I was there to oppose the Earl, and to stay the people from rising with him, who reported it, that none of our Forces was in that Country, and made the Country believe all was their own, which the people generally took for granted, and was coming in a pace, as by these enclosed you may perceive. The next day in the afternoon, I having not Foot with me, a party of the Enemy's Horse fell smartly amongst us where our Horses were grazing, and For some space put us pretty hard to it, but at last it pleased the Lord to strengthen us so, as that we put them to the flight, and pursued them to Ribble-bridge, this was something like our business at Mussleburgh, & killed & took about 30 prisoners, most Officers and Gentlemen, with the loss of two men that died next morning, but several wounded and divers of our good Horses killed. That night came the three Companies of Foot, and the next morning hearing of your Excellency's Regiment coming towards Manch●ster, I only removed two miles to a more convenient ground, thinking to have stayed there till your Regiment could come, which I expected this day, but their weariness frustrated that expectation, and this morning I had intelligence that the Enemy was upon their march, which I thought was a running away from us, being they began at 11 in the night, and marched so fast and privately; but their confidence was much otherwise raised, having increased their number at Freston and that engagement of the Priests and Manchesterians (who are very Malignant) to assist them with 500 Men and Arms, and the hopes that they had of surprising your Excellency's Regiment put them into great heart, that when we appeared here (thinking we had been (as it were) pursuing a flying Enemy) they shown a great deal of courage by a mighty shout they gave beyond the Town in sight of us, in the way towards Manchester, which we observing, together with the advantage they had of us in these grounds, and hearing their number of Foot was much increased, and the danger your Regiment was in, put us upon new thoughts when they were at one end of the town and we at the other, and resolved rather to decline engaging with them here, then hazard the loss of your Regiment, and put ourselves upon an Engagement upon too much disadvantage, they exceeding us much in Foot, and we having no grounds to fight our Horse upon, were were drawing off, thinking to have marched in the Flank of them towards Manchester to have gained a Conjunction with our● friends there) but they seeing it, presently drew through the Town to fall upon us, which we observing and being so near to them, resolved to trust God with the issue, and he was graciously pleased to give us a comfortable success to the praise of his great name, in a total rout of our Enemies, who were increased to about 14 or 1500. and I had only my own Regiment and those three Companies of Foot & the sixty Horse & Dragoones; The dispute lasted almost an hour, and very difficult to us, they overlaying us so with Foot (having not ground for our Horse but the lain to fight in) the same place where my Regiment beat up Hambletons' Rear, but at last God gave us the day, and I desire that he alone may have the praise for that great salvation he shown to us a Company of poor Creatures. As for the particulars I cannot yet give a very exact account to your Excellency, but only that the Lord Derby is sore hurt, but escaped though narrowly, the Lord Widdrington and Col. Sir Will: Throgmorton dying, and Tildesly and Boynton slain and several other very considerable persons of great quality, and about sixty Soldiers, and we have taken most of their Colours and about 400 prisoners. I thank God I lost not one Officer, nor above ten Soldiers that I can hear of, but many Horses killed and spoiled with their pikes, which I hope your Excellency will be pleased to consider and repair. The Country now gins to bring in prisoners and to show themselves to me, but before but a few appeared: The Enemy's word was Jesus & their signal a White about their Arm, our word was Providence and signal Green's; I am (my Lord) Your Excellencies most humble Servant ROB: LILBURNE. Wiggon 25. August 1651. late in the evening. 30 August 1651. Imprimatur Hen. Scobel Cleric. Parliamenti. FINIS.